Ievin saltsman and elijah saltsman



(No Model.) I. & E. LTSMAN.

. POTATO BIGGER.

Patented July 5, 1887.

- UNITED STATES PATENT FEIcE,

IRVIN SALTSMAN AND ELIJAH SALTSMAN, OF AVOOA, NEW YORK.

POTATO- DIGGER.

srncrr'rca'rron forming part '01 Letters Patent No. 365,865, dated July 5,1887.

Application filed January 18, 1887. Serial No. 224,712.

Steuben and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Potato-Diggers, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to an improvemcntin potato-diggers; and itconsists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices,that will be more fully set forthhereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a potato-digger embodying our improvements. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. tional view taken on line 00 x ofFig. 2.

A represents arectangular frame, which is provided on its under side near the center with bearing-boxes B, in which is journaled a transverse shaft, 0, the lat-terbeing free to move endwise in the boxes, for the purposeto be hereinafter set forth. said shaft are attached driving and supporting wheels D, and at suitable distances from the center of the shaft are rigidly secured miter gear-wheels E and E, the toothed edges of which are opposed to each other.

F represents a shifting-lever, which is fulcrumed to the frame A, and has its short end connected to a sleeve, G, that is secured upon the shaft 0, and in which the latter rotates. The front end of the frame is provided at its corners with forwardlyprojecting; bracket ears H, through which extends a transverse bolt-rod, I, the ends of which project beyond the outer sides of the bracket-ears.

K represents the tongue, the rear end of which is provided with a cross-bar,L, having depending cars which are pivoted upon the bolt-rod I. r

M represents a rearwardly and upwardly extending frame comprising the two bent bars N,having their front ends attached to the upper side of the frame A. and the brace-bars O, the ends of which are attached to the bars N, the central portions of the front brace-bar being firmly attached to the rear end of the frame A. On the upper horizontal portions of the bent rodsNis secured a transverse board,O,which forms a seatfor the driver, From the central Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sec To the ends of the' (No model.)

of, projects an inverted Ushaped keeper, I,

and alongside the said keeper is aprojecting lug, R.

S represents a rod,whieh is connected at its front end to an ear or lug that projects from the upper side of the tongue near the rear end thereof. The rear portion of the said rod S extends through the keeper P, and is provided with a pivoted deteut, T, which is adapted to be turned upwardly, so as to engage the keeper Rand thereby support the tongue at a suitable angle to the frame A, instead of in a position parallel therewith.

U represents a longitudinal shaft, which is jonrnaled in suitable bearing-blocks secured portion of this board, on the upper sidethereon the under side of the frame A at the center and at the rear end thereof. The front end of this shaft Uis provided with a rigid miterpinion, V, that is arranged between the gearwheels E and E, and is adapted to engage Z represents a sleeve, which has its rear end attached to the front side of the central disk, X, the said sleeve projecting forwardly and surrounding the shaft U and rotating therewith, for the purpose to be vhereinafter explained.

From the under side of the tongue K, near the rear end thereof, depend cars A, through which extend a transverse pivotal bolt, B, the the ends of which project beyond the said ears.

0 represents a pair of curved teeth or 001- ters, each of which is made from a round bar of metal bent in the form shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and having its upper end curved to form an eye, whereby the tooth or colter may be pivoted on the bolt 13. A U-shaped yoke, D, is attached to the ends of the pivotal bolt, and thereby secures the teeth or colters from ting-edge of which is'curved or beveled on opposite sides, as shown at Fig. 2, and the ends. of the said scoop are upturned to form ears M.

becoming accidentally detached therefro1n,and one side of the said yoke is provided with an npwardlyextending arm, to which is pivotally connected the front end of a rod, E Near the rear end of the said rod is a projecting offset or shoulder, E, which is adapted to engage the ear R on the seat-board O.

F represents inclined draw-bars, which are provided at their front ends with upturned arms G, having each a vertical series of openings, which are adapted to receive the proj ecting ends of the bolt-rod I, and thereby the front ends of the draw-bars are vertically adjustable with relation to the front ends of the frame A. From the rear ends of the draw bars depend vertical standards HT, to the outer sides of which are attached diagonally-arranged plows or'cutters I, the faces of which are turned outwardly, and thereby the said cutters are adapted to throw the earth'outwardly toward the wheels B as the machine advances.

K represents stay-rods, which have their shown, so as to cause the plows or cutters to, run inthe'ground at any desired depth. By

vertically adjusting the'front ends of the drawbars, as before described, the angle or pitch at which the plows or cutters enter the ground may be regulated at will.

L represents a curved scoop, the front cut- N represents draft-rods, which have their front ends attached to the lowerends of the standards H. At a suitable distance from the rear end of each draft-rod is an opening, N

and at the extreme rear end of each draft-rod is a curved slot, N the radius of which is drawn'from the center of the opening N Suitable boltsare passed through the ears of the scoop and through the openings N, so as to pivotal] y secure the scoop to the rear ends of the draft-rods, and clamping-bolts extend through the ears of the scoop and work in the andeaused to work therein on'each side of the row, the function of the said teeth orcolters being to straighten the vines and dispose them in substantially parallel rows in advance of the scoop. The plows or cutters I cut the made by the scoop, thereby preventing the corners formed by the junction of the ends of the latter with the draft-rods from becoming fouled with earth or trash, and as the scoop is drawn forward it buries itself in the earth under'the potatoes and digs the latter. When the machine is started, the shifting-lever is moved, so as to cause one of the gear-wheels E and E to engage the pinion V, and thereby the shaft U is rotated, and thus a rotary motion is impartedto the reel. As the potatoes are dug by the scoop, they fall-upon the rapidly-rotating arms of the reel, and are thoroughly sifted by the latter and separated from adhering earth and the vines, and are left upon the top of the earth in rear of the machine. The loose dirt'and vines are thrown to one side of the row by the whirling motion of the arms of the reel. When the machine is run'in the next adjacent row, the shifting-lever is moved so as to cause the rotating of the reel to be reversed, and thus preventthe reel'from throwing the loose earth and vines onto the potatoes in the. first row which have been'already dug and cover them up. When the machine is being driven across the field or along the road and is not in operationfthe driver grasps the rear end of the rod S and moves the same rearwardly sufficiently'far to cause the detent to engage the keeper P. This causes the rear end of the frame A to be raised, so as to raise the scoop above the surface of the earth. The rod E is also drawn rearwardly and secured upon the ear T, so as to raise the front ends of the teeth or colters above the ground. The function of the sleeve Z is to prevent the vines from becoming wound upon theshaft U, and thus causing the latterto cease to rotate.

Having thus described. our invention, we claim 1 1. A. potato-digger having teeth or colters pivotally secured to the tongue on the under side thereof, and a lever connected to said teeth or colters to raise and lower the same,

substantially as set forth.

2. In a potato-digger, the combination of.

the sulkyframe, the draw-bars attached thereto and provided with plows or cutters, and the scoop connected to said draw-barsin rear of the plows or cutters, substantially as specified.

3. In a potato-digger, the combination of the sulky-frame, the draw-bars a'djustably'attached thereto, and the scoop adjustablysecured to said draw-bars and moving therewith, substantially as set forth.

4. In a potato-digger, the combination of the sulky frame A, the draw-bars attached thereto andjhaving their front and rear ends independently adjustable, and the scoop connected to the said draw-bars and movable therewith, substantially as described.

5.1'n a potato-digger, the combinationof the draft-rods and the scoop pivotally attached ICC 8. In a potato-digger, the teeth or colters to straighten the vines, in combination with the plows or cutters, the scoop in rear of the latter, and the rotating reel, asset forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as 20 our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

IRVIN SALTSMAN. ELIJ AH SALTSMAN.

Witnesses:

FRANK EDWARDS, GEORGE MONEILL. 

